I have used the videos on this site to get started… i have completed a beautiful scarf that is nice and huge and warm,
And using the circular ring things they sell at JoAnn’s, I made a hat (not quite sized right)…
But now I want to learn to knit in a circle and do a set of mittens. I found the pattern, bought the needles it says to buy, but I don’t understand the thread it says to buy… They are size 2 needles, so doesn’t the yarn have to be tiny?
Also, now my sis thinks it would be adorable to knit two hats for our dogs for holiday pics, UGH!!! How do I knit hats for dogs?? With ear slots?? My dog is a GREAT DANE!!!
I think I did a bit TOO good on my first project… And I am having a hard time reading the patterns…
Cpngratulations on your scarf!
Now, for your mittens-- which yarn did they tell you to buy? Once we get that straightened out, we’ll talk about gauge and the size 2 needles (are they double pointed, came in a set of 4 or 5?)
All I know about yarn is it is pretty and some is thin and some is thick, I bought JoAnn Angel Hair yarn for my scarf that recommended a 10.5 needle and it came out perfect,
I am pretty bad on yarn… that is why I am confused as to what to look for… i don’t want to buy too big and it won’t work on those needles, but the little Patons Grace 100% Mercerized Cotton works perfect on my size 2 needles…
The pattern: for someone who has only made a scarf and an I-pod holder, these glittens are ambitious! That doesn’t mean I don’t think you should do them-- but just be prepared for asking a lot of questions (to which people here will be very glad to answer!). You will learn lots and the great thing is that they are relatively small, so it’s a wonderful way to try lots of new techniques. And I am going to be knitting a very similar pattern in about a week; by similar, I mean the person I’m knitting for wants glittens in a yarn which is worsted weight, and so I’m taking another glove pattern and then taking the idea of the Broad St. gloves and making it work (somehow:) ).
The needles: gauge is incredibly important for anything other than scarves, and so you’ll need to do a gauge swatch to make sure the needles size you have is going to work. (One half stitch off, and the gloves will be way too big or way too small.) Have you ever done gauge before? If not, it’s incredibly easy-- way easier than the actual project? and just takes a few minutes, and I can explain it to you. But we’ll leave that for now. . .
The yarn: Grace is a bit slippy to work with in that fine a gauge and for something as detailed as the fingers on those gloves. I would work with something that has a bit more “grab” to it, like wool or a wool blend. I checked out the joann site and it looks like they don’t have any appropriate yarn. You need something that says it will knit to 7 stitches to the inch, or 28 to 4"/10cm. There are many places to get great sock yarn. In my experience, Michaels and AC Moore also don’t have sock yarn. If you don’t have an LYS, I would suggest looking at
The pattern says you need something like 350 yds, if I remember correctly (check first) and so keep that in mind when choosing.
OK, so maybe I should wait on this pattern for a bit longer?
I have no problem waiting. I bought two pairs of these type mittens last year, and my bf and son stole both sets, so my fingers are FREEZING, LOL
So what would someone recommend as a good second project, maybe first project to follow a pattern?
I did complete a “basketweave” effect doggy blanket… It had 22 stitches by 10 rows in each “weave”… It looked cool. I have an afghan book that I bought because of that basketweave pattern, but I haven’t figured out how to do a big afghan yet, the needles aren’t big enough
Anyway, any advice on maybe a good project to start on reading a pattern and grasping some of these concepts. I have tons of yarns… I want to eventually get to sweaters, socks, afghans, etc,
I just have tons of yarn and no clue what is a good thing to try. I keep getting in over my head…
I am a new knitter, too, and I just finished two pairs of the fuzzy slippers (the pattern is on this site). I found them to be a good learning project. You use 10.5 needles and worsted weight wool yarn, so it’s easier to handle that sock yarn and tiny needles. Also, the slippers are felted, so it covered up my mistakes!
When you made the hat (that didn’t quite come out in size:) ), did you follow a pattern? If not, then there’s a great, easy hat pattern I can direct you to that would be good to try. If not, basic mittens are a great way to learn to follow a pattern, and again, I can direct you to some free patterns. It’s funny-- a basic pullover sweater is easy to follow (just some rectangles with some simple neck shaping), but it’s just so big for a first “patterned” project, and I think that smaller items are a good place to start.
dturner’s idea of the slippers sounds good, too.
What kind of yarn do you have in your stash? Other than the Grace. . .
Don’t worry about jumping in over your head! Knitting comes down to a few very basic techniques: knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, casting on, binding off-- and then it’s all just a matter of learning how to fix the mistakes the pattern writer made and then hiding your own:) .
Oh, and PS-- it really is no wonder you’re having trouble reading patterns. I was only half joking about getting enough experience to figure the mistakes in patterns-- there is no big Pattern God in the sky who has legalized, notarized and basically made a definitively standard pattern writing system. There are established methods, but you’ll find someone on here saying, “it says to XXX 7 times, but I’ve never seen that abbreviation before”, and even the moderators are writing back things like, "hmmm, I’ve never come across that, maybe they mean. . ."etc. But the thing is that as you learn, you really can just look at the photo or illustration and get what you’re supposed to do. And in the mean time, everyone else on this site will walk you through it. So by all means-- just jump in!
Then I have a few just “regular yarn” my sis calls it, nothing fancy or think, just straight normal yarn,
The hat I did was the yellow ring in the kit that has the 4 rings of different sizes. It has a one page instruction on wrapping the pegs, pull the stitch over, repeat until you have it the length you want, So that is the closest thing to a pattern I have done…
Little background - I cannot crochet, that is my sis, I cannot control crochet thread tension. But in knitting - no problem. I am a seamstress and do historic reconstruction. In other words, I do them fancy clothes at ren fairs But I do own a business doing it. I draft all my own patterns, do all my own embroidery, etc. I figured if I can document everything on my sewing back to Queen Elizabeth I, I can figure out how to knit…
I just need somewhere to start and some way to figure out these basics that no book I have found covers!
First of all, I think you’re going to be a great knitter! Understanding garment construction is invaluable. I’m not a sewer like you, but I’ve done a fair amount, and I know when reading certain threads and the difficulty other people have, that this is big help to me.
I have a ton of Homespun, also, and am currently working on a sweater for a friend from it. It’s very soft, but a little tricky to work with, and it tends to split and bunch a little-- and I do mean a little; I’ve worked with worse. But if you have “regular” yarn, here’s what I would suggest: a great way to learn to follow a true pattern (I’ve seen those rings in Michael’s, but never have used them), is to make a hat. It’s doesn’t have a lot of fancy stuff going on, but you’ll learn to follow the directions. This one is great-- http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Knitting/Projects/Accessories/LW1268+Gotcha+Covered+1.htm . (Scroll down a little to where it says PDF file for the pattern.) You can make it for any size, and any weight of yarn. It will also give you a chance to work on a tension or gauge swatch. To do that, look at the pattern and find the type of yarn you’re going to use and the suggested needle size and the gauge. To get a handle on where to begin, take a look at the label on your yarn of choice and find the closest match to the yarns listed in the pattern. So let’s say the gauge in the pattern is supposed to be 18 stitches and 24 rows to 4"/10cm with size 5 needles. Cast on 26 stitches and knit for 30 rows-- you’re casting on more and knitting more rows so that you will have borders-- much more accurate measuring this way. Then mark off 18 stitches and 24 rows and see how close you are to a 4" square. If you have more than 18 stitches, try bigger needles and do it again. If you have fewer than 18 stitches, try smaller needles and do it again. Now, why am only talking about the 18 stitches and not the 24 rows? Because the width is more important, especially with a hat. The rows give you length, and you are just going to knit until you get to a certain length, and if it takes more or fewer rows, it’s no big deal.
And by the way-- I can’t crochet at all either, but I’m a rather accomplished knitter. Crocheting is supposed to be easier, so go figure. . .
And we’ll get to the Great Dane’s hat later. . .
Those are nice mittens, but I think they may be a bit hard for where you’re at at this point. I noticed the pattern is for one mitten and then you are just suppose to reverse everything for the other one. Some folks probably find that a cinch, but it takes a little experience to do, I think.
A regular hat made on a 16 inch circular and then moving to double points for the top would get your feet in the water for working in the round. Some basic socks, might come before long, or some more basic mittens and then maybe the mittens you saw on Knitty would be more doable. You can basically knit anything you want when you know how to do the basics, but you will probably need someone to help you if you don’t go by small steps, but start by jumping in the middle. You can do it, but it is harder.
I have no idea how to do dog hats. LOL But I’m sure your Great Dane would look adorable in one.
To straight out the cord on circulars, dip the cord in very hot water for a minute or so, then hold or hang them straight as they cool. Some people have also used a hair dryer to heat them up.
Boil 'em-- the needles, not the dogs! . Who, by the way, is gorgeous. But it begs the question-- with a pup like that, just how did your boyfriend and son manage to steal your mittens?!
Anyway, what you do is bring a pot of water to the boil, take it off the heat and let the bubbling stop, and then throw the needles in. Let them sit for a few seconds and with a fork or tongs, pull them out. Lay out straight on a towel and let cool. Should do the trick. It’s a common problem, by the way. If you really get going with your knitting, you may want to invest in a set of interchangable needles called Harmony; their cables have no “memory” so they never twist or kink. I don’t have the interchangables, but I do have their other needles, and just absolutely love them. You can see them at www.knitpicks.com. I personally don’t do well with interchangables. Most people love them, but the way I knit (not English/thrown or German/continental, but another style altogether) slightly twists the needles with each move, and so they come undone, no matter how tightly I screw them in. But few people have that problem, and the great part is that with your set, you’re pretty much set for circulars and straights, because you can use circulars as straights.
By the way-- the hat pattern I gave you the link for is for knitting straight/flat. I can tell you how to convert the directions to circular knitting, but how long are your circular needles, and were you planning on knitting it circular or flat?
Well, I have three sets of circular needles, (2 of which are knitpicks with HUGE amounts of wire between them) and I can’t tell the size of any of them… None of them are marked so they are all mystery diameters… (another lesson learned) And they are all curly, so they sit curled up in a zippered bag in my knitting tote…
I have 5 - 10.5 needles to do round, but I can do the hat in flat too, not a problem, I can do flat! Flat is my friend! Haven’t figrured out that whole joining thing, but I can knit some awesome squares, rectangles, etc…:woohoo:
Oh, and thank you for the comment on my puppy, she is my pride and joy! I get the most awesome snuggles every night, and youa re NEVER cold with a great dane around!!!
You need to find a needle gauge so you can figure out which size the circs are. They’re found just about anywhere that sells yarn and needles so shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Thank you!! I had wondered what that plastic thingy was for!!!
I downloaded the hat pattern and it makes sense so far, so I will hopefully start that tonight, and I found a Beginner Poncho on that site that is cute and I think I can do…
Great! Just give a shout if you need any help with the hat. I would just knit the first one flat, just for the heck of it, and then, if you like it, we’ll get to the joiny-in-the-round-thing. Not hard at all, after the first couple of times, you’ll get it completely. And to 2nd suzeeq, a needle gauge will be your friend for life:) . You don’t even need to go to an LYS-- you can get them at Joann’s or Michael’s or AC Moore, etc.
